Wire cutting machine



Dec. 14, 1937. MW L WIS ET AL 2,101,860

WIRE CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1936 4 Sheet-Sheet l INVENTORS W. LEWIS 8.

MARVIN CARL B. JONES Z B 7 Dec. 14, 1937. M. w. LEWIS ET AL 2,101,860

WIRE CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1936 4 sheets-sheet 2 MARVIN W L"%% & B CARL B. JONES Mdgf' 9 v ATTORNEYJ Dec. 14, 1937.

M. w. LEWIS ET AL 2,101,860 WIRE CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 M 80 m /06 77 m8 //0 7e 7! I m? J4 7 H1 P as Mam Z F|G .6 Y INVENTORS MARVIN w. LEWIS a.

I B CARL JONES FIG. 5 ww ifi A TTORN YJ Dec. 14, 1937. M. w. LEWIS ET AL 2,101,860

WIRE CUTTING MACHINE Filed Mrch 12, 1956 4 Shets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 14, 1937 WIRE CUTTING MACHINE Marvin W. Lewis, Cleveland Heights, and Carl B. Jones, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The Lewis Machine Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application March 12, 1936, Serial No. 68,390

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wire cutting machines of the type which repeatedly cut predetermined lengths of wire from a continuous straight wire passing through the machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine which will ,cut the wire rapidly and accurately into pieces of predetermined length substantially without interrupting the feed of the wire through the machine and without substantially slowing down the wire during the cutting operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide novel means for cutting a traveling wire. Another object of the present invention is to provide novel gaging mechanism for coacting with the cutting head so as to rapidly and accurately gage and cut a predetermined length of wire.

-Other objects of our invention are the provision of novel drive means in a machine of the type described, novel arrangements for supporting and releasing the cut lengths of wire, novel gage bar supporting means, and other features which will be apparent as the description proceeds and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation partly broken away of the 'machine of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figs. 2 and 4; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3 for the lower part of the machine, and along the line 4--4 of Fig. 5 for the upper part of the machine; Fig. 5

is asectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-4-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a View along the line 'I- I of Figs. 1 and 10; Fig. 8 is aview along the line 8-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a sectional view along the line 9-9 of Fig. 3; Fig. 10 is a sectional view along the line Ill-l0 of Fig. '7; while Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the relation of cutter movement to. head stroke.

Our invention may be applied to the operation of rapidly cutting predetermined lengths of a continuously fed straight wire in any type of machine but for purposes of illustration we have shown it in conjunction with a wirestraightening machine as such combinations are well known in this art. In Figs. 1 and 2 we have illustrated such a machine wherein a reel I5 supports a coil of wire l6 from which a strand l! is unwound and' passes through straightening rolls indicated generally at 18, a straightening arborof rolls I841. and the pair of rolls are pinch I9, a pair of feed rolls 2@ and through a cutting head 2!. A motor 22 is mounted in the base of the machine and its pulley is connected by a plurality of V-belts 23 with the shaft of the straightening 5 arbor l9 so that when the motor is operated the arbor is rapidly rotated and straightens the wire by alternately crimping it in opposite directions as is well known in this art. The motor has a second drive connection by means of V-belts 24 10 with the driving shaft 25 of a. change speed transmission 26. This transmission has one. driven shaft 21 by which the wire cutting means is operated as will be later described. The transmission 26 has another power take-off at 28 by means of a chain engaging a sprocket 29 on a shaft 30 which drives the straightening and feed rolls l8 and 20 by worm and gear drives such as that illustrated at 3|, 32 in Fig. 4; The pair rolls, that is to say, the wire passes through coacting peripheral grooves in these wheels in a manner to be pinched between them sothat the speed of the wire is substantially intimed relation to the speed of the sprocket 29 and therefore geared to the transmission 26. The sets of rolls indicated at la and 20 are adjustably controlled by the hand wheels 33 and 34 respectively, so that their height above the frame may be varied. r 30 The driving means for the cutting head 2| is best seen in Figs. 3, 4 and 6. The shaft 21 which is driven from the transmission 26 has a driving connection with a flywheel 35 encased within the housing 36 and rotatably mounted upon a shaft 31 which is journalled in suitable hearings in the frame. [This driving connection is by means of the beveled-pinion 38 on the shaft 21 which engages with a bevel gear 39 on the face of the flywheel. Rigidly connected with the flywheel is a clutch member 40. Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 31, is a sleeve 31a to which is keyed clutch member 4|. These two clutch members are operatively connected by that type of drive which is known as an overrunning clutch, that is to say, when the rollers 42 carried by cage 42a are wedged between the cam points fla'of the member and the member 40 the clutch is engaged and when the rollers are loose between the cam points the clutch is released. A ring 311) keyed to sleeve 31a carries a pin 31c upon. which is pivoted a ring 31d adaptedto oscillate on'sleeve 31a. Pin 31c carried by-the oscillating ring en-. gages cage 42a. Spring 43 biases ring- 31d in a. direction to cause clutch-engaging movement of 55 in place by the set screw 61.

cage 42a. A lug I21 on the oscillating ring 81d is adapted to strike a shoulder |28a (later described) to cause clutch releasing movement of cage 42a. A slight braking effect is provided at 31 to stop shaft 31 upon clutch release.

Rigid with the shaft 81 and rotating therewith is an eccentric 44 and two cams 45 and 46. The eccentric 44 is connected by the connecting rod 41 with an oscillating link 48 which is pivotallymounted upon a suitable shaft 48 carried by the frame. Link 48 in turn is connected by pin 58 with a-pair of links 5| housed in the base ofthe cutting head 2|,and these links in turn are connected with "the cutting head by means of the pin 52 carried by the head. It results from this connection that rotation of shaft 31 moves the eccentric from the dead center position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to the opposite dead center position while the head'.2| in turn moves from the full line positionshown in Fig. 4 to the dot-dash position indicated'therein.

The cam 46 is operatively connected with a wire cuting shear 58 which is mounted for vertical reciprocation in suitable ways 54 in the head 2|. Coacting withthe cam 46 is a follower 55 rotatably mounted in the bifurcated end 56 of a crank 51 which in turn is rigidly mounted on a shaft 58 supported in the frame. Another crank arm 58 rigid with shaft 58 is pivotally connected at 68 with a link 6| whose other end is pivotallyiconnected at 62 with the shear member 58. This shear member carries an adjustable blade 63 whose vertical position is adjustable by means of the screw 64 and the blade is held in the reciprocating member 58 by means of the cap screw 65. The cutting head 2| carries a wire guiding and supporting die 66 which is held The operation which takes place during the cutting of a wire is best seen in Fig. 4 and is as follows: The high portion 46a of the cam 46 engages follower 55 and moves the arms 56 and 58 counterclockwise resulting in a downward pull on link 6| and the reciprocating shear member 53 causing the blade 68 to cut the wire H at the point where it emerges from the die 66.

Means is provided to insure that the follower 55 and cam 46 are always in contact and in the form shown an arm 68 rigid with shaft 58 is pivotally connected at 68' with a bracket 18 which supports on the pivot 1| a roller I2 adapted to follow the surface of cam 45. The bracket 18 has a lug 18a, the arm 68 has a lug 68a, and these lugs are biased toward each other by a spring 18 which is held in place by bolt 14. As cam 46a moves follower 55 in a counterclockwise direction, roller 12 will move in a counterclockwise direction and the cam 45 is provided with a recess 45a to permit this movement of roller 12 without disturbing the resilient connection between the lugs 18a and 68a. However, if there.

is any play in the parts the bracket 18 is free to move relative to the arm 68 with a resulting additional compression of spring 13 which produces a rapid return of the follower 55 toward the cam 46 upon further rotation of shaft 81-to carry the recessed portion 45a of cam 45 beyond theroller x above, results in a stroke of the cutting blade 88. The shape and position of cam 46 is such.

that the downward stroke of the blade 3 d es completes its out in the following 60 which 'therefore is the 60 located midway between the dead center positions of the'eccentric 44. To express this in other terms,' the cutting head has zero travel at the ends of its stroke and has a maximum speed during the midportion of its stroke because it' is driven by the eccentric 44. The cam 46. is arranged to make a short, quick cutting stroke of the blade 63 during the midportion of the stroke of the head to the left as viewed in Fig. 4 which is the period of maximum velocity of the head. The timing is shown in Flg. 11.

As the wire is fed by the rolls 'I8a and 28 through and past the cutting head 2|, it enters the downwardly opening T-shaped slot 15 in a guide bar 16 which is supported on brackets 11 connected with the frame 'of the machine. During the gaging and cutting of a length of wire a clapper bar 18 is held in the position of Fig. 5 to close the bottom of the opening 15 by means of arms 18 which are rigid with the oscillatable bar 8-8. When the length ofwire has been cut it is dropped out of the recess T5 by rotating arms 18 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5 and the wire drops into a'suitable receiving member, generally a pan carried by the frame of the machine. This movement of arms 18 is provided in our improved machine by means of a follower 8| which is carried on anarm 82 rigid with shaft 88. The follower 8| coacts with acam 83 on the lower inside edge of the head 2|. .This cam 88 is arranged to actuate the follower 8| and drop the wire just after the wire has been cut.

To gage the length of the wire before cutting, a gage bar 84 generally complementaryin section to the T-shaped recess 15 is placed in the guide bar in a manner to extend out of the rear end thereof where it is clamped in the clamping member 85 of the gage slide 86 by means of the cap screws 81. This'gage slide 86 is mounted in suitable ways in the frame directly over a locking slide 88 also reciprocable in the frame in the direction of wire 'movement. A spring 86a (see Fig. 10) is held between a shoulder on the slide 86 and another shoulder on the slide 88 so as to be compressed by movement of the slide 86 toward the left relative to slide 88' (see Fig. 7). Pivotally mounted at 88 on the slide 86 is a locking lever 88 which is provided with a shoulder 88a adapted to engage the shoulder 8| on the slide 88. Portions 8|a on the member 88 and 88b on the lever 88 cam the locking lever over the shoulder 8|. A spring 82 urges the lever toward locking position. The slide 88 has a pair of depending ears 83 to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 84. The lower end of link 84 is pivotally supported on link 85 which in turn is pivotally mounted on a bracket 86 connected with the frame. of link 84 and below the pivotal connection 84a is a clevis 81 pivotally connected at 81a with the link 84 and in turn rigidly connected by a rod 88 with the cutting head 2|. At the extreme end of the bracket portion 88 of the frame which supports the slides 66 and 88 is a .trip' member 88a which, in the position shown in Fig. 7, engages a portion 88b of the locking lever 88 at Near the upper end the end of the stroke of the slide 88 and disen-.

gages the shoulder 90a from the shoulder 8| so as to unlock the lever 88 from the slide 88. If

the trip member 89a is turned so as to present the surface 89b to the right as viewed in Fig. 7 no such unlocking action takes place. The usefulnass of this arrangement will be later described.

Rigid with the slide 86 is a bracket portion ltd which may be adjustably connected by collar mi end of lever ltd is pivotally connected "at it by means of a link ml with a lever W8 which-in turn is pivotally mounted at we on a suitable bracket connected with the frame. This lever is biased for movement ln a counterclockwise direction by means of a spiral spring Mil mounted on a non-rotatable pivot pin me with one end connected to the pin and its other end connected to lever we. Lever we carries at its lower end a stop member Etta which engages an adjustable screw iii on the frame of the machine. Pivotally mounted on the lower arm of lever 808 is a locking dog i I? biased in locking direction by a spring H3. Reciprocably mounted in guideway lid on the frame is a bar M5 which is provided with a shoulder 5a which is normally engaged by the locking dog ME. A trip member (ii-6 will lift the dog out of engagement with the shoulder iifia upon travel of the dog M2 toward the left as viewedin Fig. 8. A spring ill acting against g a collar-i it at its one end and against a fixed portion of the frame at its other end biases the bar removing shoulder 6230 from lug M'Lwhereuponfl H5 and the connecting link H9 toward the right as viewed in Figs. 8 and 9. The link H9 is connected with the upper arm of lever 02d pivotally supported at iZi on the frame of the machine. The lower arm of lever (IN is connected by a link it? with the clutch control lever 623. This lever is pivotally supported at iZl on the bolt 525 which is mounted for reciprocation in a porfion of the frame and carries a spiral spring 92% between the collar 925a on the bolt and the frame of the machine. The lever 623 has a shoulder area which is adaptedato engage a lug 327 on the oscillating ring did.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The coil of wire is suitably supported on the reel l5 and the end til is threaded throughthe rolls the arbor iii, the rolls 2@, and the die 56 of head it. The motor 22 is then started and the wire is straightened andfed through the cutting head 29 until the end of the wire strikes-the gage;

bar 86. pairing this operation the flywheel 35 .is rotating but shaft :3?! is at rest because lever E28 engages the lug itl of the oscillating ring 37d so that the clutch is not. engaged. As the wire strikes the gage bar til it begins to move the slide 8% toward the end 30f the machine or to the left as viewed in Fig. 7 andJ this movement continues until bracket are pulling upon. the bar we has caused movement of link it? toward the right as viewed in Fig. with consequent clockwise move ment of lever W8 and a pull towardthe left of locking dog lifiand bar M5. This causes movement to the leftof link M9 in Fig. 9, counterclockwise movement of levers .826 and are. thus the clutch engages causing rotation of shaft 3-! with eccentric 44 and cam. 18 moving therewith.

The cutting head 3! then begins its stroke to- .Ward the left as viewed in Fig. 4 but this movement is slow at first and the wire I! travels at a greater speed than the head during the-first part of the stroke as thetwo move toward the left as viewed in Figs. 4, 7 and 8. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the bar 98 being rigid with the head 2i will move at the same speed as thehead and the slide 88 will move at a slightly greater speed than the head because of the relative position of the pivots 97a and 94h on the link 94. The wire ll pushing against'tue gage bar 84 which is clamped in the slide member 86will therefore cause'movement of the locking lever 90 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 7 more rapidly than slide member 88 moves toward the left and the locking bar will thus catch up with the shoulder 9i so that shoulder 900. will engage shoulder mechanism for the head 2! is so arranged that during the midportion of a stroke of the head it is traveling at substantially the same speed as the wire. Therefore, when the locking member 90 has engaged the shoulder at and the gage bar, the wire and the cutting head are moving at substantialiy the same speed, the .wire may be accurately cut to length. This is then accomplished 'by means of the camportion ita actuating the follower. 55 as formerly described during the mid,- pcrtion of the head stroke andcwhi'le the locking lever 96 is engaged with the shoulder ti. Upon completion of the cut and the return of the cut-' ting'blade t3 upwardly the head completes its stroke toward the left as viewed in Fig. ibut at the same time the gage bar 8 3 and the slidememhers 86 and 8d are moving toward the left as viewed in Fig. 'l at a slightly higher speed than the head due to the aforementioned multiplication of motion by reason of the positioning of pivots' @la and t le on the link at. This causes the i gage bar to move away from the end of the wire 6? so that the wire isfre'e to dropwhen the clapper-bar (It is lowered by theicounterclockwise rotation of arm l9 asyiewed in Fig. 5, upon engagemerit of follower'ti with cam portion 83 of the head at. The rotation of lever tilt at the time the clutch is tripped'ls sumcienhto move the locking dog 892 to the left in Fig. until the trip member H6 releases the locking dog from the shoulder 5a of the bar M5. Thereupon the spring ill returns the shoulder i230; to the position shown in Fig. 9 and upon the completion of onerotation of the clutch the lug 52'? engages the shoulder mile and releases the clutch. The shock of the engagement of the rts when the clutch is released is absorbed by-the spring H25,

We have so arranged the transmission was to permit the coordination of the speed of. the wire and the operation of the cutting means so that certain selected lengths of wire may be cut with a constantlyrunning clutch, that is to say, the

looking dog 2 is held out of engagement with shoulder title and the trip member 99a is turned to present the'face 98b toward theright as viewed in Fig. 7 so that the locking lever tlli'is always engagedjwith the. shoulder 'fil. It results from this arrangement that the wire is fed through the cutting head substantiallythe desired length for each rotation of shaft 31 (this length however being gaged by a suitable gage bar 84) and the cutting blade 63 cuts oil this length of wire and the head returns to position for thenext out just as approximately the right length or wire has been fed through the head for the next piece. This gives a very fast cutting operation on these selected short lengths of wire without use of the clutch. I

It will be noted that combined with the substantially positive control of the rate of feed of the wire and the geared relationship of the speed of the head therewith we have provided a machine which will move the cutting head during the central portion of its stroke in the direction of wire feed at substantially the same speed as the wire and the cut is started and completed during this period of synchronized speeds so that the cut is made after the wire has been accurately gaged and without substantially retarding-the wire. start the cutting of the wirewhile the head is still at the beginning of its stroke and is traveling at substantially less speed than the wire. These prior machines do not provide .an interval for accurately g ing the wire while the wire,

gage and cutting head are moving." -By our improved cutting mechanism we provide a wire higher in surface quality and more accurate as to length than has been heretofore produced in high speed machines of this type.

What we claim is: Y

1. In a machine of the class described, means for feeding a wire along a path, a cutting head reciprocable along a portion of said path, wire cutting means carried by said head; a rotatable shaft, an eccentric and a cam rotatable with said shaft, an operative connection between said eccentric and said head for reciprocating the latter whereby a stroke of said head corresponds to movement of said eccentric between dead centers, and an operative connection between said cam and cutting means for actuating the latter, said cam and connection being arranged to start actuation of said cuttini means upon movement of said eccentric substantially sixty degrees from one of its dead centers.

2. In a machine of the class described, means for feeding a wire along a rectilinear path, a cutting head reciprocable along aportion of said path, wire cutting means carried by said head, stop means positioned in the path of travel of said wire for gaging a length to be cut by said cutting means, means for reciprocating said head and for, actuating said cutting means during an intermediate portion of a stroke of said head in the direction of wire feed, a rod reciprocable with said head, and an operative connection between said rod and ,said stop means for moving the latter in the direction of wire feed during a later portion of said head stroke.

3. The combination of claim Tin which said connection between said rod and stop means comprises a link pivotally mounted on said machine and having operative connections with said stop means and .with saidrod, and the latter connection being nearer said pivot, whereby said stop means travelsfaster than saidhead.

4. m a machine or the class described, means for feeding a wire along"; rectilinear patina cutting head reciprocable alonga portion 01 said path, wire cutting means carried by said heiui,

means for moving said head during a portion of 7 its stroke in the direction or wire feed at substantially the speed of said wire, means for Other machines are known to us which causing one of said members to move in synchronism with said wire, means causing the other of said members to move in 'synchronism with said head, and means for locking said members together during the portion of said head stroke when said cutting means is actuated.

6. In a machine of the class described, means for feeding a straight wire, along a rectilinear path, a cutting head reciprocable along a portion of said path, wire cutting means carried by said head, means for reciprocating said head and for actuating said cutting means during an intermediate portion of a stroke of said head in the direction of wire feed, and stop means positioned in the path of travel of said wire for gaging a length to be cut, said stop means comprising a guide bar having a longitudinally extending slot generally T-shape in section and opening downwardly, said slot being positioned to receive within it wire fed along said path, and a gage bar T-shape in section adapted to slidably enter said slot and to be held by said guide bar.

7. In a machine of the class described, means for feeding a wire along a rectilinear path, a cutting head reciprocable along a portion of said path, wire cutting means carried'by said head, stop means positioned in the path of travel of said wire for gaging a length to be cut by said cutting means, means for reciprocating said head and for actuating said cutting means during an intermediate portion of a stroke of said head in the direction of wire feed, said-last named means including a one-revolution clutch normally in non-driving position, and means for causing driving engagement of said clutch including an means for disengaging said latch bymovement of said stop means beyond that necessary to cause drivingengagement ofsaid clutch.

8. In a machine of theclass described, means path, means) adjacent said path for cutting said wire into,

for feeding a wire along a rectilinear short lengths, stop means located at the end of said path and adapted to engage the end of said wire for gaging purposes,;said stop meahs comprising a part a fixed distance from said cutting means and a part ehgageable by said wire and movable relative to said fixed part, said fixed part being arranged to limit the movement. of said movable part for a wire-cutting operation, and means for moving said-fixed part away from the end of said wire after saidcutting operation to release the 'cut length of wire.

9. In a machine of the class-described,- means for feeding a wire along a rectilinearpalth, means adjacent said path for cutting'said wire in"to short lengths, stop means located at the end of i said path and adapted to engage the endo! said wire for gaging purposes, means for,actuati'ng saidcutting means including, a clutch nosmally in non-driving position, and means for causing driving engagement of. said clutch including an operative connection ;betweensaid stop means and clutch, said connection including a latch and means for disengaging said latch by movement of said stop means beyond that necessary to cause driving engagement of said clutch.

10. In a machine of the class described, a frame, means for feeding a wire along a rectilinear path, a cutting head reciprocable along a portion of said path, coacting ways on said head and frame for guiding said reciprocation, wire cutting means carried by said head, means for reciprocating said head including a rotatable shaft and eccentric and an operative connection between said eccentric and said head, and said connection with said head being arranged to exert its force substantially parallel to and close to the plane of said ways throughout the reciprocating movement of said head.

to said ways.

frame, means for feeding a wire along a rectilinear path, a cutting head 'reciprocable along a portion of said path, coacting ways on said head and frame for guiding said reciprocation, wire cutting means carried by said head, means for reciprocating said head including a rotatable shaft and eccentric andan operative connection between said eccentric and said head, and said connection with said head including a lever pivoted on said frame and having a part connected with said head and oscillatable about said pivot in a short are substantially parallel to and close MARVIN w. LnwIs. CARL B. JONES.

1i; In a machine of the class described, a 

